McDonald's Franchise $3.55M Wage and Hour Settlement

Individuals who worked as an hourly employee at a McDonald’s franchise operated by UTB Enterprises LLC, Goldenband LLC, Donald D. Armstrong or Lori Armstrong at any time after March 8, 2014, and had an unpaid meal period of fewer than 30 minutes during a six-hour shift may be eligible to claim up to $872.49 from a class action settlement.

UTB Enterprises LLC and Goldenband LLC agreed to pay $3.55 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging they violated Oregon wage-and-hour laws, specifically that they failed to pay employees for meal periods fewer than 30 minutes.

Who are the class members?

Class members must meet all of the following criteria:

• They worked as an hourly employee at a McDonald’s franchise location UTB Enterprises LLC, Goldenband LLC, Donald D. Armstrong or Lori Armstrong operated.
• The companies employed them at any time after March 8, 2014.
• They had an unpaid meal period of fewer than 30 minutes during a six-hour shift.

How much can class members get?

The settlement provides two types of awards:

• Guaranteed payment: All class members will automatically receive $31.14 if they do nothing.
• Extra payment: Eligible class members who submit a valid claim form may receive an additional payment for a total of up to $872.49.

The exact amount each class member receives depends on how recently their employment occurred.

The settlement administrator will donate any remaining funds after all payments and expenses to Legal Aid Services of Oregon and the Northwest Workers’ Justice Project.

How to claim a McDonald's class action payout

Eligible class members can file a claim online or download, print, complete and mail the PDF claim form to the settlement administrator.

Settlement administrator’s mailing address: South v. Armstrong Settlement Administrator, PO Box 5129, Portland, OR 97208-5129

Required information

• All class members must provide the unique ID and PIN located on the settlement notice they received in the mail. Those who did not receive a notice or lost theirs should contact the settlement administrator at 1-833-419-0987.
• They must also provide their Social Security or tax ID number.

Payout options

The settlement administrator will mail payments to class members at the address provided or on file.

$3.55 million settlement fund breakdown

The $3,550,000 settlement fund includes:

• Settlement administration costs: To be determined
• Attorneys’ fees: Up to $1,833,333.33
• Attorneys' expenses: To be determined
• Service awards to class representatives: Up to $15,000 each ($30,000 total)
• Payments to eligible class members: The remainder of the funds

Important dates

• Deadline to file a claim: March 8, 2026
• Fairness hearing: March 27, 2026

When is the South et al. v. Armstrong et al. payout date?

The settlement administrator will mail payments to eligible class members 30 days after the court grants final approval to the settlement or 60 days after it resolves all appeals, whichever is later.

Why is there a class action settlement?

The class action lawsuit alleged that UTB Enterprises LLC, Goldenband LLC, Donald D. Armstrong and Lori Armstrong violated Oregon wage-and-hour laws by failing to pay employees for meal periods that were fewer than 30 minutes.

The defendants denied any wrongdoing but agreed to settle the case to avoid further litigation, costs and risks.

Sources

1. Class notice
2. Claim form
3. Settlement agreement
4. Settlement FAQ